AUVSI 2010 Conference in Denver

This year’s Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference and exhibition was held at the Colorado Convention Center in August and Andy Park, Director of North American Operations, represented AOS at the well-attended event. In fact, according to AUVSI Communications Manager Alysa Reich, this year’s conference was by far the largest in the non-profit organisation’s 38-year history with 453 exhibitors and more than 6,400 attendees.

From the busy exhibition floor, Andy reported that JACK®’s autonomous, decision-making capabilities were very well received by exhibitors in general and several showed particular interest in JACK’s prognostic health management (PHM) applications and track record, including the two demonstrations developed during Phase One of the UK’s national ASTRAEA project.

Further development is ongoing and, later this year, Andrew Lucas (Group CEO) will present a paper outlining the critical role to be played by PHM in autonomous unmanned air systems at the Annual Conference of the Prognostics and Health Management Society, 10-16 October in Portland, Oregon. This will include a demonstration illustrating the PHM cycle. It will show how a thorough FMECA (Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis) forms the basis of a powerful monitoring, diagnosis and actions capability for use on autonomous UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System), where there is no onboard crew, or ground-based staff, involved. The autonomous system is responsible for its own PHM to ensure safety without human involvement. The demonstration at Portland will be based upon the lubrication system of a Rolls-Royce 250, a popular helicopter and small aircraft turbine, which is also the powerplant for the recently released BAE Systems’ Mantis autonomous UAS.

AOS would like to thank Gretchen West, Executive Vice President, and attending AUVSI staff in general, for their kind hospitality at the Conference.